Stocking



Sept. 21, 1943- H. M. HERBENER STOCKING Filqd June 8, 1942 the same;

'war i I I v v Figure-2 is a fil s ectiveview of the stocking, showing the leg bent at the knee,

Patented Sept. 21, 1943 3 a v, v 2,329,899 JSTOCKIN'G pearance 11S1"j A further object'of the invention is to provide a garter-which is: elastic andfiexible' circumferen'tially, but stiff in a direction at substantially a right angle to "the circumferential direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide agarter of theabove-rnentioned character having pookets" for receiving and holding stiiiening ribs, to maintain them in place in use but will permitlof the removal of the stiffening rib-s when the garter is to bewashed. v

the'r objects and-advantages ofthe invention wiil b'e apparentduring the 'course of the following des'criptionl f j --In the aoc'omp'ahying :drawin riorming a part oi 'this application andflin vvhioh like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout Figure 1 is a' persp'ectiveview of a stocking embodying my invention, showing the same applied to the leg, but the garter not folded in- Figure 3is an' enla'rg'ed side elevation of the upper end of the stocking, the lower portion of the stocking being brokenaway,

Figure 4' is w an enlarged vertical section through the garter taken intheplane of the same,

parts broken away, 1 v,

Figure 4 isa transverse section taken online H-4 f Figure'4, 1 v

: Figure 5 is avertial transverse section through the'upper portion of the stocking, showing the garter folded inwardly,

Figure 6 is a horizontal transverse section through the garter taken on line 6 6 of Figure 3, V Figure'i'is an enlarged fragmentary side eleva' tionofthe upper endof the'stocking, showing the manner of' producing the same,

U Figure 8 is a transverse section taken on line 8*8 oi Figuie l-andg= i it ry. Mi lierhener, Thomasville, Ga. v V

-5 ,Application lune s, 1942,'se'ria1- Nm446,239 1/ v v :SClaiinS. (Cll2f 240) Figure 9 is a longitudinal seetionth-rough a slightly modified form oi stobkingix In the drawingywhereinjfor the purpose of 11- lustration is shown a preferred vembodiinent of my invention, the numeral 10 designates the leg portion of the stocking; having ,a foot portiontzi I,

and knit in the, usual mannen: -It'is preferredthat the leg portion in vbe sufficiently long. whereby its top will extendnhovethe. knee, which ,is desirable, when worn with short dresses; The, le portion to is knitsanti includes, loops w 7 The numeral 12' designates an annular section or zone, madeoi two wayf stretch'fabric. This fabric is preferably formed of elastic threads I3, which are knitgto produce the loops l4 of'fabric l2; Thesejelasticthreatls may be formed jotrubber threads'oovered withya-rnn'rthethreads may be fibrous, and the elasticity in both directions willresuit from the knitting of the fibrous yarn,

such as silk, rayomnylon, cotton, or. a1mixture' of thesame. All'ofthese fibrous yarns have some 7 degreeof elasticity and, the degree of: elasticity isincreasedby having the yarn crimped; vWhile it is preferred that 'thefabric of. the annular section or zone Hshoulfi be knit it may be woven. When the fabric is woven to produce a two way stretch, elastic or rubber threads Will be used. The annular t. section 'nr zone I! having atwoway stretch, it willistretch eireumferntially and longitudinally of the leg at'substantially a right angle to the circumferential directionv- Theleg portion in or the stocking is knituponfand front the section or zone 12. The annular section or -zone 2 is preferably normally? of the same length throughout its cii'ifiu'rh fereric 'befo re it is stretched by-theblidin-gof'the-knee:

" Thestoeking further comprises-' a garter-Kale r'nent l 'l-, which is pieferably woven; and which has a; ohe wayfstr'eteh-so that it is" elastic circumferentially' a fid non eiastic' at a}- right a n'gle to the ire mrerentiar direction. a This garter has its fame formed mm cirumferentially extendin g rubber thremls l8; which' 'are covered with flbrousthrea dsand f9 tie thenon elastio filling threads;-' Certain of: thefiilihgfthr gds', atthe lbottomof the garter "provide loops in; ro ecting dovvnvvafdly'helbw; aitei ii'ate loops 2i, and', this affords spaces 22,1 at ve'ane adjacent togthe' 'lowei inost elastic} thread I18, for the passageof loops 23of the-knitted annular 's eetionor'z'one" t2, an these ;-1oops=* rece ve therein" the lo-Wei'iiiost I'Oi' zone #2 is knittofthe garter element 11; j

felastio thread 1 5 gift this manner, the isetio'n The garter elementwhich is" referabIy' woven,

openings 3 I.

as stated, comprises sides 24 and 25 which are formed integral with each other at their upper and lower edges 26 and 21, whereby these edges 26 and 21 close the ends of pockets 28. These pockets are formed in the garter by pairs of transverse partition webs 29 and 30, preferably woven integral with the sides 24 and serving to unite them. A contracted opening 3| is arranged between the webs 29 and 3B in each pair. Alternate pairs of webs 29 and 39 are reversed so that the long web 29 of one pair is arranged lowermost adjacent to the lower edge 26 while the long web 29 of the next pair is arranged uppermost and adjacent to the upper edge 21, while the short web 30 in one pair is arranged uppermost adjacent to the upper edge 21 while the short web in the next pair is arranged lowermost adjacent to the lower edge 26. The normally outerside25 position. When the knee is bent, as shown in Figure 2, the zone I2 will have its upper portion stretched longitudinally or at a right angle to the circumferential direction, since the zone I2 is more elastic than the leg portion, thus allowing the leg portion of the stocking adjacent to the knee, to pay out longitudinally, avoiding undue stretching and bagging of the stocking at the knee. The garter element I1 is circumferentially elastic, as stated, and is heavier than the zone I2 and much stifier or stronger against circumferential stretching than the zone I2 and will therefore exert a greater pressure upon the leg. I contemplate omitting the stiffening ribs from the garter, in which event such garter may be used as an ordinary garter, without turning the same inwardly and downwardly. I also con- J template using the garter element separate from of the garter is provided with circumierentially extending slots 32, which are disposed over the The'slots- 32 are:alternately arranged adjacent to the edges26 and 21, as shown. The numeral 33 designates flat U-shaped stiiiening ribs which may :be; formed of metal, .Celluloid, whale bone, or the'like. Each rib 33 has .arms 34 which are adapted to be inserted into portions of the adjacent pockets 28, the long web 29 extending between the arms 34 and the short Web entering a notch 35,' ormed.in the opposite end of the rib. The rib is wider than the slot 32 and the garter is stretched 'circumierentially so that the rib may be passed through the slot and when the garter again contracts the slot has a length less than the width of the rib.. The ribs 33'have their arms tfiupreierably arranged in overlapping relation The ribs 33 dojnot impair the circumferentialelasticity nor the circumferential flexibility of the garter. element butrender the garter element stiff in a direction at right angles to the circumferential direction.

In the production of the stocking, the annular section or zone I2 is knitted to the lower edge of. the previously woven garter element H. To effect this the knitting needles are threaded through the spaces. 24 and the loops 23 are formed about the lowermost strand I8; The knitting operation continues away iromthe garter element until the elastic section vor zone I2 is completed, and then the knittingoperation is con- ,tinued with the change of thread-to form the body portion, .Ifiof, the stocking. The zone I2 In use, the leg portion ,of thestockingis applied to the wearer in the usual manner and the two-way stretch annular section or zone I2 is arranged above the knee-with-the garter element II above the zone I2. The garterelement I1 is then preferably folded downwardly and inwardly,

Figure 5, so that it is arranged next to the leg and betweenit and the upper portion of the zone I2. The downward pull of the stocking-through the zone I2 will be transmitted to the then upper edge of the inverted garter element I1, and this will tend to tip .thisgarter'element outwardly, causing its lower edge to dig into the flesh, to a certain extent, and prevent thegarter element iromf slipping downwardly upon the leg. The

stifiening ribs producethis action by rendering the garter element stifi in a d rection at substantially a right angle to the circumferential direction of the garter. The zone I2 being circum- 'ferentially elastic,'it will, fit snugly upon the leg and also aid in keeping 'theisto ckingin the raised thezone I2.

I contemplate arranging an annular section of stocking I0,Figure 9, between the two-way stretch annularsection or zone I2 and the oneway stretch garter element I1, and these parts will be secured together by knitting them together or by other means, such as sewing. When the stocking section II! is employed it will-serve to attach or secure the garter element II to the zone I2.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i g

1. A stocking including a leg portion, a circumferentially elastic garter element secured to the leg portion, the garter element comprising sides which are connectedat their opposite edges, transverse webs connecting the sides at spaced points to provide pockets, one side having openings arranged adjacent to the transverse webs, and U-shaped stiiiening ribs for insertion into the pockets through the openings, the U-shaped stiffening ribs straddling the transverse webs, said U-shaped stiffening ribs being removable from the pockets without separating the garter element and leg portion. I i I 2. A garter which is circumferentially' elastic, said garter comprising sides, transverse pairs of webs extending between and-connecting the sides, the webs in each pair having their -iree ends spaced to provide a passage, the sides having openings arranged adjacent to the passages, and a rib for insertion through. each openingto assume a position between the sides and provided webs extending between and connecting the sides, each pair of webs including a long web and a short Web having their inner ends spaced to provide a passage, the short web. of each pair extending inwardly from one edge of the garter while the short web in the next pair extends inwardly from the opposite-edge of the'garter and the long web in each pair extending inwardly from one edge and the long web inthe next pair extending inwardly from the oppositeedge, one side having openings arranged adjacent ,tOzthe passages, the openings bei ng spaced from the edges of the garter-and staggered, and a rib for insertion through each opening to assumeaaupoa posite ends with openings toreceive the webs.

4. A stocking including a leg portion, a two- Way stretch leg encircling elastic section secured to the upper portion of the leg portion and embodying rubber threads, and a circumferentially elastic garter element secured to said elastic section, said garter element embodying rubber threads and being stronger against circumferential stretching than the elastic section, and means to render the garter element transversely stiff.

5. A stocking including a leg portion, a two- Way stretch elastic section secured to the upper portion of the leg portion and extending circumferentially thereof and having more elasticity than the leg portion, and a transversly stiff and circumferentially elastic garter element secured to said elastic section, said garter element being stronger against circumferential stretching than the elastic section.

6. A stocking including a leg portion, a twoway stretch elastic section secured to the, upper portion of the leg portion and having more elasticity than the v leg portion, a circumferentially elastic garter element secured to said elastic section and having transverse pockets, said gar ter element being stronger against circumferential stretching than the elastic section, and stifiening ribs held within the pockets.

7. A stocking including a leg portion,1a circumferentially elastic garter element secured to the upper end of the leg portion, stiffening ribs carried by the garter element and extending transversely thereof, and an elastic section secured to the leg portion and being more elastic than the leg portion and arranged to tudinallyl of the leg when the knee yield longiis bent to prevent the leg portion from bagging at the knee.

8. A stocking including a leg portion, a twoway stretch leg encircling elastic section secured to the leg portion near its top and being more elastic than the leg portion, a circumferentially elastic garter element arranged near and spaced from the two-way stretch elastic section, and an annular stocking section arranged between the two-way stretch elastic section and the garter element and secured to the same, and means to render the garter element transversely stiff.

HENRY M. HERBENER. 

